No evidence for involvement of the toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 gene Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms in susceptibility to primary gouty arthritis.

Previous studies demonstrated that toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 was involved in the development of autoinflammatory disease including gouty arthritis (GA). TLR4 functional gene Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms play a role in some autoinflammatory disease susceptibility. We undertook this study to analyze the association between the genetic polymorphisms within TLR4 gene and the susceptibility to GA in Chinese Han people. Two functional variants, Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile, in the TLR4 gene were genotyped using 5' exonuclease TaqMan technology from 218 male GA patients and 226 ethnically matched controls. None polymorphisms of Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile were detected in all GA cases and controls, which indicates that there is no evidence for involvement of the TLR4 gene Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms in susceptibility to primary GA in the Chinese Han population. Further studies with extended single nucleotide polymorphisms should be performed.